Global humanitarian leader and spiritual master, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar addressed one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in the post-pandemic times, where he shared his thoughts on healing the world that is undergoing a complex global mental health crisis, a fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The worldwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how when we work together, we can achieve better and more equitable health outcomes. The current approach to addressing mental health is ineffective and calls for a fundamental change. We must address the root cause from a holistic perspective and explore breath as a tool to manage the mind and emotions.” Gurudev said. He also spoke about the dollars spent on mental health across the world and how India has a lot to offer in addressing this challenge including the holistic and powerful healing systems with their roots in spirituality such as Ayurveda, dhyana and yoga.
The theme of the 53rd WEF meet is 'Cooperation in a Fragmented World', much in line with The Art of Living’s work which spans over 40 decades in conflict resolution and building dialogue, be it in Kosovo, Colombia, Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, India, among others. The conference is being attended by 2700 leaders from 130 countries and 52 heads of states, including 100 dignitaries from India. The leaders will convene to discuss matters of global concern including geopolitical conflicts, the food and energy crises, and climate change, among others and lay a roadmap for a more resilient world order.
Gurudev returned to WEF after 21 years, to address the convention. The WEF 2023 meeting came as multiple crises fragmented the geopolitical landscape against the backdrop of the world still trying to inch back to normalcy after the pandemic that further exacerbated the mental health challenge. While highlighting the renaissance of South Asia, Gurudev shared his thoughts on how countries around the world can jointly find areas of strategic cooperation to start conversations and find solutions that facilitate understanding, connection and de-stigmatization of mental health.
Gurudev shared his proven approach to addressing mental health issues - strengthening society by strengthening individuals. This has inspired over 30,000 program leaders and over 1 million volunteers engaged in building conscious and caring communities globally. This positive movement has touched over 500 million lives in 180 countries across several verticals:
- Prisons: 800,000 inmates benefited globally.
- Schools: 1096 free schools serving the remotest parts of India, providing education to more than 82,000 kids.
- River rejuvenation: 70 river and tributaries rejuvenated in India. 2.2 million farmers trained in climate-resilient and natural farming.
- Skills training: 3,09,907 people trained in various skills in over 500 districts of 23 states and Union Territories.
- Skills development enters run by SSRDP: 95 skill development centers running over 50 different job roles.
